The End and the Beginning
by Maidenstear
Summary: The Prince and the Raven has come to a happy ending, but what of the ending of a duck who brought it there? FakirxAhiru a little MythoxRue. please R & R
1. Akt 27 Akt 1

Authors notes: Okay, hi! This is my first fanfic...like...ever...so I would really like it if you would please review! constructive criticism is very welcome! Please enjoy, and I'll try to have the rest of the story up as soon as possible.

**Edit: Okay, everyone! I doubt anyone will read this, but I am returning to my first fiction here to do some tweaking, seeing as I posted it very energetically in the beginning without looking over it to edit it first, ehe~! So, if you haven't read it yet, I'm kind of hoping it will be better now…**

Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Tutu or any of the characters. NONE, I SAY!

* * *

_Once upon a time there was a young writer, whose abilities made the stories he wrote come true. But for some reason, he seemed unable to write the story he wanted to write the most…_

Ahiru paddled slowly around the still waters of the pond, occasionally dipping her head below the surface. As her name implied, she was a duck. A rather unusual duck at that, with huge, anime-like blue eyes and a single, distinct feather that stood up on top of her head.

It had been a month since the ending of The Prince and the Raven, when Ahiru had become Princess Tutu to return the scattered pieces of Mytho's heart to him.

_It's been awhile since I've been a girl…_Ahiru thought sadly, reflecting as she continued swimming. After awhile though, she got a bit fidgety. She had just heard the clock tower striking the hour. Fakir was late. She debated with herself over whether or not to go meet him. Eventually, she decided to just go ahead and do.

Flapping her wings, she gave a sort of waddling-running start and was soon airborne. Kinkan Town looked a lot different from above. More peaceful, in a way. It made Ahiru realize just how much she loved the place. She couldn't imagine living anywhere else.

Ahiru was soon flying above the roof of the school. She began scanning the ground for Fakir, and saw a dark spot on the path below. Looking more closely, she noticed a second dark spot.

_Huh. I wonder who that is?_ She began her descent, all the while watching the two people. Ahiru squinted, trying harder to see, when she suddenly realized she had stopped flapping her wings.

"QUACK!" She wailed as she fell towards the ground, and landed among some bushes.

"So what is it you wanted?" A familiar voice questioned. Rubbing her head with a wing, Ahiru looked up to see Fakir and a girl walk into view. They stopped near the bush Ahiru was hiding behind.

Fakir, sole subject of the fangirls now that Mytho had gone back to his kingdom, with his black hair in its usual ponytail and impenetrable green eyes. He watched the girl before him, waiting for an answer.

"Fakir-kun I…I like you."

When Fakir only blinked in response, the girl rushed to continue.

"Th-that is, would you please…go out with me?"

Ahiru's chest felt like it had been squeezed. _Huh? What is this feeling…? Almost like I'm…_She was so caught up with her thoughts that she almost didn't hear Fakir's response.

" Sorry."

"H-huh?"

"There's someone I made a promise to. I promised her I would never leave her side."

"O-oh…"

_Fakir…_

"Oh…I see…" The girl shook her head. "Sorry, thanks for listening. Bye!" She ran back the way they had come.

Deep in thought, Ahiru failed to notice the feline sneaking up behind her until it gave an excited purr. Ahiru leapt from the bush in alarm and flew into a nearby tree.

"Quack quack! Quack quack quack quack!" (_Go away, you stupid cat!)_ She waved her wings at it frantically as it looked like it was considering climbing the tree.

"Ahiru ?"

Ahiru looked up as Fakir, looking surprised, approached.

" Quack!" (_Fakir!_)

The cat hissed as Fakir shooed it away from the tree with his foot. Denied a quick meal, the cat turned up his nose and flounced away.

Fakir looked up at Ahiru and smiled exasperatedly. "Baka," He said, taking her down and carrying her in the crook of his arm. "You didn't have to come meet me. You know I'll always stay by your side."

Ahiru reddened slightly at the reproach, embarrassed and ashamed that he had known what she was thinking.

"Qua-Quack! Quack quack!" (_Fa-Fakir, I can walk!_)

Fakir stopped, looking down at her mockingly.

"Don't be stupid. I can walk much faster than you possibly can with webbed feet."

"Quack!" (_Meanie!_) Ahiru huffed. She missed the look that Fakir gave her—a tender glance filled with sadness.

They stopped by Charon's, where Fakir was now staying, so he could get his writing materials, and then headed to Ahiru's lake. That was how Fakir referred to it now, since that was where they spent the most time.

He set her in the water so she could swim before sitting on the dock, picking up parchment and quill. Although he did not fill it with ink, Fakir placed the quill on the parchment, narrowing his eyes in concentration. He sat there for probably almost an hour, finally giving a grunt of frustration. _Why?_ He thought, putting a hand on his forehead. _Every time… Each time I try to write her story it won't come. Ahiru…Is this the way things are supposed to be? Does she not deserve a happy ending?_

Ahiru floated around in the water, watching Fakir with a look of concern. _Fakir…I wonder what he's writing…he looks like he's having trouble with something…_

"_I promised I would never leave her side."_

Remembering what Fakir had said earlier, Ahiru suddenly had a horrible thought. _What if… What if he only stays with me because he feels sorry for me? After all, no one else remembers me except Rue-chan and Mytho, and they left…and what if because of me, Fakir isn't happy?_ She failed to notice the bridge support looming up in front of her.

Fakir's concentration was broken by a _thunk_ and a very loud quack. Setting down his things, he went and peered over the edge of the dock. Ahiru's eyes were closed and tears rose as she rubbed the top of her head with a wing. She quacked in surprise as a hand scooped her out of the water.

"Quack, quack. Quack quack quack." (_Oh, Fakir. You surprised me._)

"Baka. You're still the same old clumsy Ahiru."

Ahiru opened her beak to retort, but saw the look on his face. He was smiling one of his rare smiles.

"It's getting dark," Fakir observed, "Come on, let's go." He picked up Ahiru and his things. As the days were growing colder, Ahiru was staying at Charon's house too. Reaching the house, they ate, and Ahiru headed to the small living room, where a basket was kept for her. Though she was a duck, the time she had spent as a girl would have made it awkward to sleep in Fakir's room. Nestling down into the blankets, the duck was asleep within moments.

Fakir got ready for bed as well. Just before going to sleep, however, he looked in on the little duck. He smiled at her sleeping form. "Goodnight, Ahiru." He whispered. 

* * *

Aneko: -bows- Thank you very much for reading.


	2. Akt 28 Akt 2

Author's Note: Yay! I've already got the second chapter! I know squat about ballet, so, for you experts, I'm really sorry. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon, but I haven't written it yet, so wish me luck! If I make any mistakes, sorry, I'm doing my best to make it error-free. If you don't like that the names are in Japanese, I did it because I haven't seen the English version and I don't want to screw up anything they might have said.

**Edit: So here I was thinking to myself it would be really easy to find time to edit these chapters. Turns out life just doesn't want me to do so. BUT I'm working on it. And I'm going to try to finish it before I go back to college… **

Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu or any of the characters.

* * *

**Akt 28/Akt 2**

_That night both the knight and the duck dreamed…_

Fakir looked around. Mist surrounded a small lake where a lone figure was dancing. Unable to see who it was, Fakir stepped closer, squinting to try and see better. He stepped into the lake, only to find that it was a mirror, reflecting the grayness of the sky above. Fakir watched the dancer before him. _Mytho…?_ He wondered._ No, that's_…

"Ahiru."

She looked the same as she had a month ago, her hair in its long red-orange braid, and the gray school uniform clothing her. Her eyes were closed, but she did not stumble through any of the steps, her feet tracing a routine only she could know.

"Ahiru?" She didn't answer, continuing the dance, oblivious to everything else.

Not knowing how else to get her attention, Fakir stepped forward to dance with her. They began a dance he knew very well, though he had only danced it once. The atmosphere was very similar to what it had been the last time as well…deep in the lake of despair. As they danced, Fakir's questions came again.

_Why can I still not write her story? Is it because it is only my wish and not hers that she becomes human again?...But then why is this dance—why is _she_—always so sad?_

He had seen it many times. When she thought he was not looking, a pained look came to her eyes, as though she were remembering things from the past, the ghost of a story laid to rest.

Fakir lowered her down into the last position, and she finally opened her eyes to look up at him.

Fakir was taken aback by the sorrow in the blue depths. A single tear fell from her eye and landed with a tiny _splash_ in the mirror-lake.

"Ahiru…why are you…so sad?"

_Wait, that's right…_he brought her closer to the floor_…she is only…a duck._

As he thought this, Ahiru smiled sadly and, her body glowing, vanished. There was nothing in Fakir's hands to prove that had a girl had ever been there at all, not even a few of the golden flecks that floated to the sky. He was completely alone.

* * *

At the same time, Ahiru was in a dream of her own.

Ahiru looked around, but it was too dark to see anything. It reminded her of when she had been taken into Drosselmeyer's hideout, the place where time was stopped forever as he watched stories unfold. Thankfully, Fakir had been there to write her out. Ahiru shivered in rememberence.

_Wait…I'm shivering?_

Almost in a trance, she looked down. Where there should have been wings, there were hands. Eyes widening, she reached to touch her face. Where there should have been feathers, there was skin.

"I'm…a girl again!" Her human voice, not quacks.

Ahiru felt herself all over. She was wearing her school uniform.

_That's strange…_she thought_…That didn't happen before…usually I was naked._

She suddenly heard the familiar tapping of a drum and a young voice.

"Ahiru-zura!"

"Uzura-chan!" Ahiru called to the little girl running towards her, pounding her drum, with colorful clothes and curious, pale green hair.

"I missed you, Uzura-chan." Ahiru said, smiling at Uzura.

Uzura regarded her quietly for a few moments before saying, "Is Ahiru lost-zura?"

"Eh?"

"Follow me-zura!" Uzura began running, still playing her drum.

"Hey—wait!" Ahiru ran after Uzura, but before she knew it, she had even lost the sound of the drum.

_Oh no…now I really_ am _lost…not that I knew where I was in the first place…_

The faint strain from a music box reached her ears. Blinking in surprise, Ahiru ran toward it until she saw another familiar person.

"Edel-san!"

Edel stopped winding the box to look at Ahiru.

"It's been awhile, Ahiru."

"Edel-san, why are you—?" Finally, it dawned on her. "I'm…dreaming?" Edel nodded.

"Oh…I thought…" Ahiru felt tears at the corner of her eyes as she raised her hands to her face again. Edel watched in silence.

Finally, Ahiru couldn't stand it, she had to know. She had returned to her true form to end the story, and she was happy she had, really she was. But…

Ahiru jerked her head up. "Edel-san, I know my true my true form is a duck. I _know_ that! But…still…still, is it wrong to want to be a girl?"

After all that had happened, all she'd been through as a girl…how could she just forget it all? Edel smiled as Ahiru wiped away the tears that had gathered.

"My true form," she said, "was a puppet created by Drosselmeyer, with no hope of having a human heart. That did not stop me from trying. While trying to give happiness to another, you gave up your own. Wasn't your intent to make sure everyone got a happy ending?" Edel's image began to fade.

"Ah, but Edel-san—" Ahiru called.

"I'm sorry, Ahiru," The former puppet said, "I have to go now." And she faded away entirely.

"Me-san is right-zura."

Ahiru turned to see Uzura behind her.

"Everyone is happy but Ahiru and Fakir-zura. Why is that-zura? It makes Drosselmeyer happy-zura."

"Ah! But—"

"Uzura has to go now-zura!" Uzura ran off with a wave, leaving Ahiru alone to think about what she had been told.

* * *

In a deep new hideaway, Drosselmeyer frowned tragically over his cup of tea at the frozen gear on Uzura running.

"Uzura and Edel! You've ruined my fun! Now the tragedy won't be nearly as good!"

* * *

End of Akt 2. Hope you liked it!


	3. Akt 29 Akt 3 Precious Memories

Author's Note: Blah. I know this took a long time. I was away for the weekend. Anyways, finally! Chapter three! Enjoy! The title on this chapter is a little different, I know.

**Edit: Blargle. My procrastination is going to kill me one of these days. Just you wait and see.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu or any of the characters.

* * *

When Ahiru woke up, Fakir had already gone on to school, so she went down to the lake to spend the day until he came home and joined her.

It was hard during the time he was at school. Fakir being the only one who remembered her, meant that she was left alone during the day. During this time she could not help but think about the past. Especially after that dream. After all, what else _was_ there to think about? There was only so much cloud-watching one could do before you ran out of shapes to see.

Looking at the cloudy sky made her remember the time Mytho had gone missing and she and Rue had gone looking for him. The sky had been overcast on that day as well.

"_And also, what is with this calling me "Rue- chan" when we're not even friends?"_

"_Then what should I call you?"_

" _Rue- sama."_

"…_Rue…sama…"_

"_Why was there such a long pause there?"_

"_It's too weird after all. I'll just call you Rue-chan. It's cuter that way."_

"_Cuter?"_

" _Besides, we've been walking and talking together so much, we're already friends! So Rue-chan!" _

Ahiru sighed. After Rue had overcome the Monster Raven's influence on her, she had been a good friend.

_She loved Mytho so much she would have died in his place. I'm glad he made her his princess._ Ahiru smiled as she remembered Rue-chan in her wedding dress.

Thinking about Mytho now was strange. She was satisfied she had returned his smile. Now she thought of him only as a very good friend. Ahiru remembered when he had esentially told her the same thing.

"_You're the only friend to whom I can talk about anything."_

_At the time, though, I felt bad about hiding things from him…_she thought_…Oh, well. Now Pique and Lilie can't bother me about unrequited love…_

More memories swelled into her mind as she thought of her two ever-cheerful friends. Always, they had made wild, dramatic assumptions, then pushed her to act on them. Being with them every day had always tired her out until she could barely think straight. Still, she missed them.

Abruptly, Ahiru shook her head, slapping her face with her wings_. I have to stop thinking about this,_ she berated herself. _If I don't, Fakir will notice and think something's wrong._

Ahiru calmed as she thought of Fakir.

"_Even if that does happen, I'll always stay by your side."_

Fakir's company over the past months meant more to Ahiru than anything. _Even though I'm a duck now…_

"Little duck, are there those that you miss?"

"Qua?" Startled, Ahiru looked around for the source of the voice.

The world seemed to have become still. The birds had stopped singing, to listen to the mysterious voice. It was just a hypnotic whisper, though somehow echoed easily around the vicinity. It had a pleasant, almost lullaby quality to it.

"Don't be afraid, Ahiru."

He knows my name? Trying to pinpoint the voice, Ahiru turned to where it seemed loudest, right behind her.

Before her was an enormous swan, such a brilliant white it looked as though it were glowing. As a matter of fact, it _was_ glowing, slightly.

"Ahiru, I can hear your heart crying. You are unhappy."

"Qu- quack quack?"(_H-how do you know that?)_

The voice laughed, not derisively, but gently, and the swan glowed more and more brilliantly, making Ahiru's eyes water. In the space of time it took her to blink, a man stood there, resting effortlessly on the surface of the water.

"The heart speaks volumes, to those who listen. An unhappy heart speaks loudest of all. There are friends you desire to meet again, is this not so?"

Ahiru thought of her time as a ballet student, the friends she had made, and very slowly, she gave a tiny nod.

"Do you wish to become human again, little one?"

"Quack?" Ahiru looked up, her face and voice filled with undisguised hope.

The man nodded, smiling at the shining look in Ahiru's eyes.

There was a pause, though, and Ahiru's expression turned bleak again. She stared down at the water, uttering a small, sad sound.

He raised his eyebrows. "Could you perhaps, be thinking that this isn't your fate? That since you are, in truth, a duck, you should not become a human girl again?"

Ahiru flinched, but nodded her yellow head slowly. Of course that was what she thought. What if by becoming human again, she undid everything that had been put to rest? She wouldn't be able to bear that. And Fakir had promised to stay by her side always. Really, she only had things to be grateful for…But…

But…

But—

"But that's not true." Ahiru looked up at the man abruptly. Reaching down, he tapped her on her feathered chest. "You know what I see? I see the soul of a girl, trapped in the body of a duck. And that's something that even Herr Drosselmeyer could not have tampered with. So, my offer is this: to become a human once more."

Ahiru hesitated, staring at the hand being offered to her. Could she really go back? Back to almost always being late, and sharing lunch with Pique and Lilie, and learning ballet? Could she?

The thoughts overwhelmed her, and Ahiru nodded, giving a small quack.

"However, I must warn you. If I do this, something precious to you must be exchanged." Ahiru's mind flew immediately to Fakir. It was as though the man had read her mind. "Harm will not come to those you hold dear. You have my promise."

Ahiru blushed at the statement, but her eagerness was not dispelled.

"Quack!" She nodded, a note of finality in her voice.

Ahiru gasped as a tear fell from her eye—she had not even felt it there. It fell, crystallizing as the man pulled it to him, speaking some strange rhyme

_Mem'ries bound by marble stone_

_Precious three enslaved in one_

_Discover each and you will find_

_Happiness of heart and mind._

Water from the lake rose up, cocooning the crystal in a swathe of water. Before the scene had finished, Ahiru felt her eyelids droop. Fighting to keep them open, but to no avail, they fell shut, and the man reached down, gently taking the duck out of the water. And as quickly as he had come, he was gone, taking a duck with him, but leaving barely a ripple on the still-silent lake.

* * *

Fakir sighed. It was going to be another one of those days. The teacher's praises a bit too much, the girls' whispering and giggling a bit more annoying (if that was possible), and all Fakir really wanted was to go home and talk to Ahiru. He had missed her this morning, because she was still asleep. He wanted to ask her how happy she really was, because he wanted to return her to her human self. He wanted to know whether she too, wished for it, or if it was only a fantasy of his own.

"Fakir-san, are you listening?"

"Sorry, Sensei," Fakir said, aware of the attention he had unknowingly caused himself. "I've just got a lot of things on my mind right now."

"Ah, well. I was wondering if you might give us a demonstration."

"What should I dance?"

"I'll let you decide that."

Fakir took his position in the middle of the floor and began to dance. It fell silent at once, except for the piano, and all the students watched in awe. He allowed the dance to consume it all—his confusion, his worry, his hopes, his sadness, and a feeling he dared not give voice to. Just for a few minutes, he could let ballet take it all away and simply _be_.

A girl sniffed, rather loudly, and her friend next to her tried to hush her, but seemed to be in the same predicament herself. Everyone in the room had noticed now—it was hard _not_ to. As Fakir danced, the emotion was so stark and clear as to be almost painful. Frustration, sadness and all sorts of other feelings echoed within his graceful moves. When he stopped, there was barely a heartbeat's hesitation, then everyone began clapping. It was an applause filled with quiet, subdued understanding and support.

Fakir felt that a small bit, a very small bit, of his overwhelming sadness had gone away.

_Maybe I've let it get a bit out of control…_He thought_…If I'm this depressed, even Ahiru might notice._

But even as he thought of Ahiru, he felt dizzy and lightheaded, and a terrible feeling of foreboding settled itself in the pit of his stomach. Swaying, Fakir gripped the edge of the bar beside him to balance himself, catching the teacher's notice.

_I seem to be doing that a lot lately…_he thought as the teacher walked over.

"Fakir-san, are you feeling sick? You may go to the nurse, if you like."

"Sensei, if you'd give me permission, I'd like to just go straight home."

The teacher studied him a moment. "All right, you're a good student; I hope the matter is resolved quickly."

Fakir looked surprised, making the teacher laugh. "Oh, go on. You know we aren't all of us blind in here. We saw your dance. Now get going."

Fakir obeyed, quickly grabbing his things and heading for the door. He didn't even bother to change before he left the grounds.

* * *

Fakir was so worried on the way home that he failed to notice the dead silence until he was halfway back. When he did notice, he was suspicious. It felt like the times Drosselmeyer had made time stop so he could make sure his screwed up story ran smoothly.

"Hello, Fakir." It was a pleasant voice, which made Fakir distrust it all the more. Disembodied voices couldn't be counted as a good thing.

"Drosselmeyer?" Fakir said in slight fear and anger.

"Last I checked that was _not_ my name."

"Who are you?" Fakir looked around him, trying to find the location of the speaker, but the voice, echoed everywhere.

"Forgive me, but I am not at liberty to say. Perhaps soon I will be able to tell you. I have come to tell you that something precious to you has been returned…Or maybe it's been stolen. Your interpretation will probably differ from mine."

"_What?_" Fakir practically yelled. It seemed as if the voice was going to continue talking in riddles. _Though why I'm listening to him at all in the first place is another matter…_

"Calm yourself. I will warn you, that everything is not as it once was. I can only tell you that, and this:

_Mem'ries bound by marble stone_

_Precious three enslaved in one_

_Discover each and you will find_

_Happiness of heart and mind_

Fakir was silent, and the man sighed.

"Do you still have not even the slightest clue?"

Fakir began to run towards Charon's house.

From where Fakir had stood only a few minutes before, the owner of the voice appeared, watching Fakir run.

"He got it. Well, part of it, at least…" He tilted his head to the side as he watched, a playful smile on his face. "Good luck."

* * *

Fakir felt sick as he walked around the lake for the fourth time. Ahiru wasn't there at all.

* * *

Fakir was heading back to Charon's, his head down, exhausted from shock and worry. When he opened the door, a voice hailed him.

"Fakir!" Someone hugged him. "What happened, you look awful!"

Fakir blinked, trying to register the person before him. His eyes widened. "Mytho? Rue?"

Mytho, who had hugged him, steered him firmly to a chair.

_When did Mytho's grip get so strong_? Fakir wondered absentmindedly. Rue was standing slightly behind Mytho, and she looked (mildly) concerned as well.

"Fakir, will you tell me what's wrong?" Mytho asked quietly. Past experience told the Prince that getting the knight to talk about his probably was difficult to nearly impossible. He was surprised, borderline worried, when Fakir told them everything without delay, from wanting to turn Ahiru human to Ahiru disappearing. He kept his dream to himself.

"Why have you two come here?"

Rue looked grim as she replied, "We heard a voice telling us the same thing. We didn't really know what he meant, so we came here."

Frustrated, Fakir slammed his fist on the table. "What's going _on_ around here?"


	4. Akt 30  Akt 4 Twisted Dream

Author's note: Hi! Ummmmm….yeah, I'm trying to make the chapters longer…it's just that there are cut off points that I think will work, and the chapter ends up being shorter than I thought…thank you for all of your reviews! It makes me very happy!

**Edit: It seems I'm going to finish the editing of this sooner than I thought. Of course, it's not like I'm doing anything major. Just adding a little clear gloss coating. It'll probably need another coat in a few years.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu or any of the characters.

* * *

"It'll be okay, Fakir. We'll figure this out," Mytho reassured him. Fakir couldn't help but find it ironic that Mytho was taking care of him this time, rather than the other way around.

"You two should stay here. Charon has an extra bedroom, and I'm sure that he won't mind you using it. Whatever is happening, I bet it's going to be a while before everything is normal again."

"True," Mytho agreed. "And we should probably re-enroll in the Academy."

Fakir nodded. "I'll go with you to the principal's office tomorrow, since no one remembers you."

* * *

The next morning, the three of them made their way to school. They walked past the dorms to get to school. It was silent but for the trickling fountain between the two buildings; they had come early so that they would get to class just as it started, after talking to the principal.

Fakir tapped lightly on the door of the office.

"Come in!" The principal called. They entered to see him seated behind his desk doing paperwork, but when Fakir cleared his throat, he looked up, smiling widely.

"Sir," Fakir began, "this is-"

"Why if it isn't…Mytho and Rue, was it? It's been awhile since you've been here. You left so suddenly last month, we were afraid you wouldn't be coming back."

Fakir hid his initial shock, his expression smooth and unreadable as always, but he was still too shocked to say anything. Of all reactions he could have expected, _that_was not one of them.

At their silence, the Principal looked a little downcast. "Did you want to take a class? I'm very sorry, but even if it's you two, the enrollment roster has been completely filled for this school year. If you want to re-enroll, you'll have to wait until next year. I can put you on the list now, if you'd like."

It was Rue who took action. Stepping forward, she gave the principal an overly-sweet smile. "Thank you, sir, but Mytho and I are only visiting, so don't you think it would be alright if we joined the classes while we visit? I promise it would only be for a few weeks or so. Wouldn't that be all right? I know that this is a marvelous school, since you do such a good job of running it. I just thought that it would be nice to take a few classes once more. But that would inconvenience you, wouldn't it? " She managed to sound concerned, innocent, pouty, and flattering all at the same time.

The principal seemed to have turned to jell-o beneath her smile. "O-of course it isn't an inconvenience," He stuttered, ""I-I'll just go tell your instructor the circumstances..."

"Oh, it's okay," She gave him another too-sweet smile, "We'll do it. I don't want to take you away from your work, it looks terribly important."

The principal looked like he could have melted into a little puddle as he waved them weakly out the door.

"Why did you do that? _How_ did you do that?" Fakir asked curiously as they were walking.

Rue laughed, flicking black hair out of her face. "It's a gift. You probably know why," Rue said, looking serious now, nowhere near the fake flirt she had been a minute ago. "I have a feeling we're going to find some more surprising things around here. If any of us gave a hint in the office about how surprised we were, I doubt it could have gone well. We don't want anyone thinking that we're all insane or anything like that."

Mytho nodded thoughtfully. "Good point, Rue." He smiled.

Rue blushed. Though he had made her his princess and they had been together a month, he still seemed too wonderful to be hers.

Fakir was deep in thought about the strangeness of it all when he saw something that made his heart stop. Someone dashed in front of him. Someone with a long, unmistakable, red-orange braid… Impulsively, he grabbed her small arm.

"Ahiru?" Disbelief rang through his voice, though he tried to keep it out. Mytho and Rue looked shocked as well. And then she turned and looked at him.

"Is something wrong, Fakir-senpai?" Fakir dropped her arm like he'd been scalded. Her eyes…

Ahiru, not seeming to notice his sudden horror, turned briefly to Mytho and Rue. "Oh, Mytho-senpai, Rue-san, good morning!"

Rue frowned. "Ahiru, how did you become human again? Mytho and Fakir and I were worried about you-we thought that something bad had happened to you."

Ahiru looked confused. "Human again?" She gave a nervous little laugh. "What are you talking about? I was just, um, visiting family. That's all, that's all!"

"But Ahiru, Mytho and I-"

"I'm sorry, I'm late, I've gotta go!" Ahiru ran off before Rue could finish.

Rue looked at the boys, her eyes wide.

Fakir ground his teeth together. "So this is what he meant," he whispered. "She doesn't remember us at all. We're little more than strangers to her!"

* * *

They walked in silence the rest of the way to class, even more shocked than they had been after coming out of the office. At the practice room, Fakir took Rue and Mytho to the teacher who, just like the principal, was thrilled to have them back.

"We have a new student coming today as well," He said, but refused to say who.

Fakir went with the other two to begin stretching, the whole time scoping the room for Ahiru. She wasn't there yet. Finally, the teacher called order and everyone grew silent. Though everyone had already noticed, he introduced Mytho and Rue. "I'm sure many of you remember them, but Rue-san and Mytho-san are joining us as visitors for awhile, though they will not be enrolling again. Also! We have a returning student and a new student. Come on in you two!"

Two people walked in and Fakir's gaze immediately went to the first. It was Ahiru, wearing her normal practice outfit, with one exception. Where previously she had worn the red jewel that turned her into Princess Tutu, there was now a many faceted white stone that glittered in the sun coming through the windows.

Fakir heard Rue gasp, and he tore his gaze away from Ahiru to follow her gaze. It was the other student she stared at, who everyone else seemed to be staring at as well. All the girls, at least. He was breathtaking, with hair that was startlingly white, even whiter than Mytho's and pulled into a small ponytail. He had warm blue eyes and a friendly face—and Fakir was automatically suspicious.

"Now, I'm sure you will all remember Ahiru-san," the teacher said. "And the new student is her friend Redoan-san."

Redoan smiled charmingly. A girl near the back swooned. Fakir snorted disbelievingly, but froze when the boy began talking. It sounded…_familiar_, somehow, but he had never heard someone with a voice like it.

"Hello," He said. His voice was loud, with a commanding ring to it that could rival Prince Sigfreid's any day. "My name is Redoan. I'm glad to be at this school, but I don't know much about ballet." He smiled sheepishly. "It's very nice to meet you all."

"In that case, we should give you a demonstration," The teacher scrutinized his audience of students. "Ahiru-san, why not you? Since you've just returned to us?" Ahiru looked perfectly terrified at the idea. "Fakir-san, would you please dance with her?"

"Can you do it?" Mytho muttered so only Fakir could hear.

Fakir closed his eyes and gave a little shake of his head that the teacher didn't see. Mytho looked to Rue, and she nodded.

Mytho raised a hand. "Sensei, I'll dance, if you don't mind." The teacher nodded his approval, and Mytho stepped forward. Ahiru came forward nervously.

"M-M-Mytho-senpai, really, you should dance with someone else, I-I'm not that good," she whispered, stuttering over her words in her flustered state.

Mytho forced himself to smile. "Don't worry, Ahiru. It's okay."

Mytho watched her during the whole pas de deux, looking for any signs, any at all, of familiarity—a smile, a knowing laugh—but there were none. At the end, he forced another smile and walked back over to Rue and Fakir. Mytho shook his head to Rue's questioning gaze.

"That was very beautiful." Fakir stiffened. He turned to see Redoan beside him.

Redoan smiled, or grinned, rather, charmingly. "I just wanted to say that I enjoyed it very much." Fakir relaxed as Redoan walked to the opposite side of the room, but then clenched his fists as Ahiru walked over to join him. He couldn't hear, but they were speaking, and Redoan was gesturing to Pique and Lilie. Ahiru looked concerned, speaking again, but Redoan smiled and shook his head. Ahiru walked over to join Pique and Lilie, and from the looks on their faces, they too, remembered her.

_Wait…_Fakir thought as his gaze switched very, very briefly to Redoan, _Why did he tell _me_ the dance was beautiful? He should have told that to Mytho..._

Class dragged on abominably slowly for Fakir. It took all he had to keep from running from the room. It was like some horrible nightmare he, Rue and Mytho were sharing. Everything was the same, but everything was different. Ahiru was as cheerful as she had been before, but now she treated them even more formally than before The Prince and the Raven had started. No one else even seemed to notice. They acted like it was perfectly normal.

It was affecting Rue a lot too. She was quiet, and looked like she might cry. Mytho alone seemed well composed, but when he spoke, his voice betrayed his worry.

When class was over, they left slowly, letting everyone pass them. They had to be alone to talk; but as they reached the doors of the academy, they saw Redoan standing by the exit. They faced each other in silence for awhile. Finally, Redoan smiled again. "I really did enjoy your dancing," And once again, he was looking at Fakir instead of Mytho. "It looked like you were searching for something, though." Abruptly he turned his gaze to Rue. He looked thoughtful. Or perhaps musing. "Keep searching. I wish I could watch you all dance more. Sadly, the teacher did not mention I will only be here for a few weeks. But we can still enjoy that time, right?" Without another word, Redoan turned on his heel and walked smoothly out the door.

Rue, watching him, couldn't resist commenting. "Ha! Don't know much about ballet my _foot_. Did you see him today? He could easily make the advanced class!"

Mytho chuckled quietly, but Fakir was still staring after Redoan, though he was already out of sight.

"He knows."

"_What?_" Mytho said sharply, looking at Fakir.

"He definitely has something to do with this. And it sounds like there's a time limit. If he's leaving in a few weeks, that's probably how long we have."

"So we have to find her memories of us within that time, right?…But _how?_"

"And what happens if we don't find the memories in time?" Mytho asked tensely.

"I don't know," Fakir said, his hands forming fists and his teeth clenching, "but I don't want to find out." He didn't even know who had changed things, or how. He didn't know how to put things back to normal. He didn't even know what "normal" _was_ anymore, and everything depended on getting Ahiru's memories back, but things seemed to be spinning wildly out of his control.

* * *

Fakir tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He kept seeing the look on Ahiru's face when he had seen her that morning. It was polite, friendly and cheerful—the usual Ahiru— but it was different in every way. Before, as a duck, whenever he came to see her, her face would light up, and her eyes seemed to recognize him, to see his face in a crowd and know him. This morning, compared to that, her gaze was cold. There was not recognition in her eyes, her face didn't light up—it was the look that was politely given to a complete stranger.


	5. Akt 31  Akt 5 Rose Waltz

Author's note: I got this one up faster, huh? I think there will be eight akts…possibly nine…but most likely eight…I like roses!(sorry...is random, I know. Had to try and think of a good chapter title...)

Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu or any of the characters.

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Akt 31 / Akt 5- Rose Waltz

Over the next few days, school became bearable- but only just. They forced themselves not to look at Ahiru, and the kept going. Mytho and Rue knew it was harder for Fakir. If he met Ahiru in the hall by accident, his eyes became so full of pain and he became so quiet, that they were left making excuses. So one of them, if not both, walked around with him at all times. On one day, Rue talked to Mytho about it after they had come back to Charon's house.

"It's unbearable," She whispered, afraid he would hear, "whenever he sees her, he looks like he's being torn apart from the inside out." Her face was sad, concerned.

"Well, he is. I understand how he feels."

"You do?" Rue was shocked.

"Of course. If that ever happened to you," Mytho said, watching her face, "I think I'd be the same way."

Rue blushed, and the conversation ended.

However much pain he was in, though, every day Fakir went to the library, going through every scrap for some small clue, but he found nothing.

Getting desperate, they stayed after school one day to talk to Redoan.

"You know something," Fakir said, "tell us." He worked to keep his tone calm, but it was hard to.

Redoan held up his hands apologetically. "There is only a limited amount I can tell you."

"_Can_ or _want_ ?" Fakir growled.

Redoan sighed and turned to stare at Rue "There is only a little more than two weeks left." He turned to go, and then stopped. "It's almost time." He murmured, walking out the door.

----------------------------------

The next day was routine for Fakir. That's how it became. School, library. dinner, sleep, start over. He was on his way to the library now; Rue and Mytho didn't come on these expeditions. They had tried, but only gotten themselves lost among the bookshelves. Only Fakir could safely navigate through the place.

Fakir spent longer than usual, flipping idly through books that came nowhere near anything like what was happening. Checking his watch, Fakir sighed, taking a couple books to check out.

He came out and walked towards home. They were no closer than when they had started, except for the knowledge that there was a time limit. Not concentrating exactly on where he was going, Fakir was distracted when someone ran into him. Being smaller, the person got knocked down. Fakir swayed a bit, but stayed standing. He did, however, drop all his books.

"Oh, sorry Fakir-senpai. Here, I'll help!" Ahiru began gathering up the scattered books. Fakir picked them up too, ignoring her gaze. This was already hard enough. She handed him the last book and they stood up.

Fakir still didn't look at her, on the pretense of counting the books.

"Fakir-senpai?" She sounded nervous, embarrassed. Fakir kept himself from flinching at the title, still unused to it.

"Yes?"

"Why do you look so sad when you look at me? And now you won't look at me at all."

Fakir looked up, then quickly away. "You…remind me of a very good friend who…disappeared. She was very like you." His voice was huskier than he would have liked.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is she…dead?"

Fakir looked up at her and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Not dead, no. I know that much. More like she's…sleeping."

Ahiru looked confused. The look was very…Ahiru. Fakir laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I don't expect you to understand that." He said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Ahiru smiled, waved, and ran off again. Fakir turned, walking slowly, but he reached the house before he knew it. When he entered the house, though, Mytho crashed into the room.

"Fakir," He said breathlessly, "did you happen to see Rue while you were out?"

Fakir frowned, shaking his head, "What happened?"

She went off on her own. I don't know where to find her!"

"Calm down. Did she leave a note or anything?"

Mytho handed Fakir an envelope and he took out a slip of paper, reading:

Dear Mytho and Fakir,

Don't worry, I just went for a little walk. I wasn't feeling well and thought some air might help. See you soon.

Rue.

Fakir notices a small black line on the bottom. He held the note close to his eyes and was able to read what was written there. Barely. It was a hastily scrawled PS, written painstakingly small.

P.S. Fakir- Don't let Mytho get too upset- I really do just need to think about some things. You can come find me if you want.

-Rue

Fakir kept himself from chuckling. She had written so small intentionally, so Mytho wouldn't read it. From the looks of things, he hadn't.

"Why don't we go look for her?"

Before he even finished the sentence, Mytho had bounded to the door and opened it. Fakir kept his mouth from twitching into a smile. Fakir knew Rue was well able to take care of herself. Mytho seemed to have conveniently forgotten this fact.

_Who knows_, Fakir thought, _Perhaps Rue was right. Maybe the fresh air will help me think too._

----------------------------------

Ahiru stared out the window of her attic dorm room. The moon was out, a glowing, white orb hanging low in the sky, casting a silver light on everything.

_I feel sorry for Fakir-senpai…_ She thought. It felt strange, though, as she thought it, and a small voice in the back of her head said, _NO! He shouldn't be sad like that…it's not the way…_

She gasped. The voice stopped as she felt something flicker in her memory, but it was gone, before she even tried to grasp it.

She was distracted when a figure crossed the street below.

"Rue-san?" Curiosity roused, Ahiru dressed quickly, and headed toward the direction she had seen Rue take.

-----------------------------

Rue wasn't headed in any real direction, she was just walking, but she stopped when she came to a field near the school, filled with flowers. There were many kinds, but the main kind was roses. Sighing, she looked up at the moon. Ahiru was her best friend. She had always believed in her, even when she knew Rue was Kraehe.

"_Rue-chan is Rue-chan."_

It felt strange now, not to be called Rue-chan, though at first it had been annoying, this perky, innocent girl who had two left feet when it came to ballet. But in the end, she had helped Rue realize she didn't want to be the daughter of the Monster Raven.

Rue turned at a sound behind her. Ahiru stood in front of her.

"Ah-um- I'm sorry Rue-san, I just saw you go and wondered where you were going, so uh-" Ahiru looked embarrassed, "I'll just go now!" She turned to leave, nearly tripping in her haste.

"Ahiru." Ahiru turned to face Rue. Rue used a position she had seen used many times. Rolling her hands above her head, she brought one hand down, holding it out in front of her. "Will you dance with me?"

----------------------

Though Fakir's legs were longer, he was having a hard time keeping up with Mytho.

"Look, Fakir!" Mytho pointed ahead to a field of flowers. Two figures stood there. Mytho began running and Fakir followed. They had just gotten there, and Fakir saw Rue gesture to Ahiru and say, "Will you dance with me?"

Ahiru, bewildered by the request and the sudden arrival of Fakir and Mytho, said, "But Rue-san, I'm not that good, and Fakir-senpai and Mytho-senpai are better-"

"Please?" The look on Rue's face made Ahiru's babbling excuses die.

"O-okay."

"Just do as I do," Rue whispered to her as she came over, "just like before." They began the dance.

Ahiru's moves were similar to Rue's, but not as physically graceful.

"I remember this," Mytho breathed. As though talking would cause them to stop, "Remember, Fakir? Neko-sensei asked Rue to give a demonstration, back before I had any of my heart, and Rue chose Ahiru as her partner." He was calmer after finding Rue.

Fakir nodded silently, still watching. The dance ended, and Rue put her hands to her face and began crying, her hair falling over her left shoulder.

Mytho made to leap forward, to comfort her, but Fakir held him back.

"Fakir," Mytho said crossly, "why are you-"

"No, wait- look at Ahiru."

Mytho turned to the girl. Ahiru stood stock still, eyes wide. Images were cramming themselves into her head so fast it almost hurt.

_Rue dancing with her in front of the class._

_Walking and talking to Rue, looking for someone._

_Finding Rue, crying on top of the roof, then turning into Kraehe and disappearing._

_Rue denying being the daughter of the Monster Raven._

_Rue saying goodbye…_

Ahiru felt it all, then said the word already familiar on her tongue.

"Rue…chan."

Rue gasped, looking up at Ahiru. Her eyes were different. Recognition lit them.

"Ahiru!" Rue hugged her friend, tears still falling down her face.

"Rue-chan…" Ahiru said surprised. She stood there awkwardly for a moment, then hugged Rue back.

"You remember me again?"

"Y…yes…"

"What's wrong?" Rue pulled away to look at Ahiru, and Ahiru began to fall. "Ahiru!" Rue said, but before she could catch her, Redoan seemed to appear, out of nowhere. He caught her just before she hit the ground, picking her up as though she weighed nothing. Mytho and Fakir had run up, and Redoan turned to Fakir.

"Another splendid dance."

"What's wrong with her?" Rue asked, upset.

"Fear not. Finding things that are hidden can exhaust the searcher." Redoan looked down at Ahiru. " It would seem it gets harder from now on. I will return her to her dorm. Good night." He turned and left.

"Hey- Rue!" Fakir turned to see Mytho supporting Rue as she leaned on his shoulder. She had fainted. Mytho shook her gently to see if she would respond, but when she didn't, he lifted her up in his arms. "So," he said as they walked back to Charon's house, "one-third of her memories have been returned."

"And it will only get harder." Fakir said.


	6. Akt 32  Akt 6 Heart's Echo

Author's note: I put the title lik that because it's about Mytho, and the whole heart thing,so yeah... All these lovely reviews are making me very happy. Thank you so much!!! I am planning several oneshots after this story, so stay tuned, I may say the title of the next one in the last chapter of this one. I'm not sure which I'll do first though….Oh yeah, and I know I have some random Japanese words in there, but I write them down without thinking. Plus, I think they sort of sound cool…anways, Akt seven!

Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu or any of the characters.

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Akt 32/ Akt 6- Heart's Echo

Now that Ahiru remembered her, Rue was much better. It was easy to tell she was happier, though she tried not to show it because Ahiru still didn't remember Mytho and Fakir.

"So is the answer we must dance with her?" Mytho asked.

"Maybe." Fakir said. He wanted to ask Redoan something. He was a lot calmer now they had gotten part of Ahiru's memory back, and thought it was a question the mysterious boy wouldn't mind answering.

At school, Fakir noticed Ahiru was late. Again. When she finally did arrive, she burst through the doors, falling flat on her face right in front of the teacher. As he lectured her in front of the class, she bowed, apologizing excessively. As she bowed, her jeweled necklace was more visible. Fakir stared. Before, when he had first seen it, it had been pure white. Now the very edges were clear, making it look slightly smaller than it was.

After the lecture, Ahiru went to sit by her friends- though how she ended up with friends like _those_ two, Fakir had no idea. Even from here, he could tell Pique and Lilie were "consoling" her on her latest mistake. Her face suggested otherwise.

Fakir went slowly at the end of class, trying to find Redoan, but he seemed to have disappeared.

_So I guess we can only find him when he feels like telling us something._ He thought, as he and Mytho walked home. Rue was walking with Ahiru back to the dorms.

------------------------------

"I missed you, Rue-chan!" Ahiru said, smiling.

"I missed you too, but how on earth could you forget about me?" said Rue reproachfully.

Ahiru looked sheepish. "I don't know. Oh, but-" She perked up again, "I'm really glad you're here."

Rue turned her head, hiding a blush. "Me too, but Mytho and I are only visiting. He is a Prince, you know." She watched Ahiru's face out of the corner of her eye to see her reaction to Mytho's name. It was not what she had hoped for.

"Mytho-senpai is a Prince? Amazing!" Ahiru's eyes were big, and she continued rambling, though Rue wasn't listening. "I guess it makes sense though. He does look like he could be a Prince. He acts like one too! So nice and friendly…and he is a very graceful dancer. I bet everyone in his kingdom thinks he's a great Prince. Everyone here thinks so. Well, they would if they knew, but they don't, so I guess…"

Rue suppressed a sigh. She had hoped she might make Ahiru remember something.

"Ah, see you tomorrow, Rue-chan." They had reached Ahiru's dorm.

"Goodbye, Ahiru." Rue waved, watching Ahiru run inside before turning to walk home.

-----------------------------------

Fakir stared out his window. He hadn't gotten a chance to ask Redoan his question. By now he had been through the entire library. He was running out of options. It might work if he danced with her, but he wanted to be sure.

Fakit frowned. He knew Redoan had _something_ to do with this, but he was not sure how much. The way he talked, he made it sound like he wastaking orders from someone else.

Fakir froze. There was something was something else he could try. Something he had overlooked in the rush of these last few events. Slowly, he turned to his desk. He walked over and sat down. Taking his quill, he pulled parchment toward himself. Dipping the quill, he took a deep breath.

_Think of Ahiru…I need to write her story again!_

As he had hoped, his quill began writing, scratching out the story, from when she was a duck in quick, neat strokes. He was surprised as he read about the dream she had had. His hand continued to write, but as soon as it reached the current moment, it stopped. He couldn't make himself write more. He had not even been able to write about when Ahiru had disappeared, then reappeared as a girl.

Fakir lay his quill down in defeat, then threw himself on his bed. That night, he dreamed again of dancing with Ahiru. As she opened her eyes, they were again filled with sadness.

"What can I do?" Fakir whispered as they held the final position. "What can I do to make you remember?"

Once again the figure disappeared, leaving him alone in the darkness.

--------------------------------------------

When Fakir woke, he came downstairs and only found Mytho.

"Where's Rue?" He asked, surprised.

"She said she was going to walk to school with Ahiru. She still hasn't given up on trying to make her remember by talking to her."

---------------------------------

Rue stood outside Ahiru's dorm. She knew she was up, because she had seen her bizarre ritual of feeding the birds. Actually, she had heard it more than seen it. Ahiru was not gifted with the world's greatest balance, and a crowd of birds did not help.

The door creaked, and Ahiru came running to Rue. "Ohio, Rue-chan!"

"Ohio, Ahiru."

They began walking to class, and Rue tried again to make Ahiru remember.

"Do you remember when I tried to make you stop calling me Rue-chan?"

"Yes." Ahiru frowned. "Weren't we looking for someone?"

Rue felt excitement rising, but she kept her voice calm. "Yes, actually. We were looking for Mytho."

"Eh? Really? Mytho-senpai?" Ahiru was surprised.

Rue sighed inwardly. It was back to square one.

----------------------------------------

The rest of the day went like normal. Ahiru was late. Fakir searched for Redoan without success. Rue walked Ahiru back to her dorms, trying without success to make her remember. Fakir tried to write her story, eventually falling asleep exhausted, and dreaming the same dream.

--------------------------------------

The next day was Sunday, and there was no class. Fakir, having gotten to sleep late, woke up late that morning. When he went to the kitchen, Rue was drinking tea.

"Where's Mytho?"

"He went to the school to practice some. He asked me to tell you, because he didn't want to wake you up."

"Thanks." Fakir said, as she poured him some tea. They sat in silence. It felt strange to Fakir. It was really the first time he had been alone with Rue and they _weren't_ enemies. Even before she had started calling herself Kraehe, they had been less than friendly. Now they were actually cooperating.

"Feels weird, doesn't it?" Rue smiled.

"Yeah." Fakir said. He didn't need to ask.

Something caught Fakir's eye. Rue's hands never stopped moving. She was fidgeting, though her face was calm.

"Do you want to go find Mytho?" Fakir asked casually.

"Sure." Rue rose up slowly, heading for the door. Fakir followed just as slowly.

"You should walk a bit faster on the way there," He warned, " or he'll be on his way back before we even get there."

"Right!" Rue set off at a much quicker pace. Shaking his head, Fakir followed.

----------------------------------

Mytho turned on some music, then, taking position, began dancing. Being as good as he was, Mytho let his mind wander while his body went through the dance out of habit. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular, when a noise brought him back to reality. Ahiru stood in the doorway, holding a mop and a bucket of water.

"Ahiru." Mytho said, surprised. He went over and turned off the music.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mytho-senpai, I didn't know you were practicing in here." She held up the bucket. "I was late again yesterday, and sensei made me clean today."

"Don't worry, Ahiru." Mytho smiled.

At that moment, Rue and Fakir came in another door. Seeing Ahiru, though, they stopped.

"Ahiru…" Ahiru turned back to Mytho, who held out a hand to her, "Will you dance with me?"

_This is the second time,_ Ahiru thought, bewildered, _and they both wanted to dance with me…why me?_

A small, small voice in the back of her mind whispered, _Do it! You have to!_

Hesitantly, she set down the cleaning equipment and took Mytho's hand. At first Mytho was silent as they danced. Finally he said, "It's sad."

"Eh?" Ahiru was confused.

Mytho laughed. "You may not understand this, but because of you, I am who I am." He lifted her into the air. "Because of you, I got my heart back. And because of you," He glanced at Rue, "I found someone I want to love above everyone else." The dance ended. Mytho bowed to Ahiru. 'once again, thank you."

Ahiru saw, once again, the memories she had not known were there.

_Seeing Mytho's empty expression, wanting to return his heart._

_Returning Mytho's pieces of heart._

_She and Mytho dancing for a puppet who longed for a human heart._

_Mytho making Rue his princess._

_Mytho thanking her, a duck._

_Another goodbye… _

"You're welcome…Mytho."

Mytho looked up, smiling for real this time.

"I'm so glad you remembered… Ahiru!" She had fainted again. Fakri and Rue ran forward, but Redoan had already caught her, again, out of nowhere.

He stood up, holding her, and Fakir noticed the light in her necklace had gotten even smaller. Now there was only a small area at the center that was white.

"You are," Redoan said, "very close."

"Redoan!" Fakir stepped forward. "Do I only have one chance?"

Redoan stared at him for a moment, then said, looking out the window, "This is Sunday? You have less than a week." He looked Fakir in the eye. "Some times and places are better than others. The more precious the memory, the harder it is to forget it. But once forgotten, is it not also the hardest to remember again?" Once again, he turned and left.

"Oji!" Fakir turned. Rue was trying to support the fainted Mytho, "Fakir, what's wrong with him?"

"He's fine," Fakir said, picking up Mytho, "The same thing happened to you, remember?"

"Really?" They began walking back, "That was a pretty dance." Rue commented.

"They performed it once," Fakir said, "for the puppet Edel. She asked them to. She was sure it would be beautiful."

Fakir did not tell her that it had been after he, Mytho and Ahiru had all nearly died by her hand, nor did he tell her it had been after she had soaked Mytho's heart shard in the Raven's blood.

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	7. Akt 33  Akt 7 Finale

Author's note: Somewhere between Akt 7 and 8 I thought "geez, I can't believe I'm writing this- it's so cheesy!' anyways…hmmmm….this dance looks suspiciously familiar….ha ha. Akt seven!(This is the longest akt)

Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu or any of the characters.

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Akt 33/ Akt 7- Finale

When Ahiru woke up, her head felt very fuzzy. Trying to remember what had happened, she sat up quickly.

"Qu-ack!" She waved her arms helplessly, landing in a heap on the floor.

She patted the top of her head, then smiled. Still human. She hadn't turned into a duck when she quacked. She didn't know how she had become human again, but she had fainted as a duck, then woke as a human, with Redoan leaning over her. He said he had seen her on the side of the road (as a human) and stopped to see if she was alright. She had learned he was going to become a ballet student at the school.

_That last month as a duck…I wonder how I got through it…_she wondered. _I feel like…like someone else was there…_

"_Even if that happens…"_

The half memory faded again, and Ahiru shook her head.

"Oh, well. I'm human again. I don't have the abilities of Princess Tutu, but I'm human. I wouldn't really need them anyways, Mytho has his heart back…"

Distracted by chirping at the window, Ahiru went to feed the birds.

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Rue still had not given up trying to make Ahiru remember. It was the only thing she could do. Mytho didn't come with her to and from school when she talked with Ahiru. He felt it was better to stay with Fakir.

"Ahiru," Rue said as they walked, "was it hard to collect Mytho's heart?" The question had occurred to her when Mytho thanked Ahiru.

"Mmmmm… I can't really remember," Ahiru looked uncertain, "but I do remember the hardest part."

"The hardest part?"

"Yeah. Knowing that giving Mytho the last piece of his heart meant I would turn back into a duck.

"How…how could you _do_ that?"

"Eh?" Ahiru turned. Rue had stopped walking and she was staring at Ahiru like she would start crying again.

"You became Tutu knowing you could never let him know how you felt, and then you even gave up being human, just to return his heart. How could you do that?"

Ahiru smiled. "Why are you saying that, Rue- chan? _You_ were willing to die in Mytho's place. In the end, _you_ saved him." Rue blushed and looked away.

"Still, why…_how_…?"

Ahiru looked thoughtfully up at the sky, a finger on her chin.

"Well, I just…when I saw him the first time, he wasn't smiling. He wasn't frowning or looking sad, either. His face was…_empty_. So I thought," Ahiru smiled, " 'I want to see him smile.' At the end, I was a little afraid, but…eh? Rue-chan?"

Rue hugged Ahiru.

"Ahiru, you have a sweet heart."

"Y-you think so?" Ahiru blushed.

_That is why_, Rue thought, determined, _I promise we will bring back your memories of Fakir._

Rue couldn't bring herself to ask any more questions, or probe Ahiru's memory.

_You barely knew him, and you wanted to make him happy,_ she thought, as she watched Ahiru, _and yet I, who knew him for years, didn't even try to restore his happiness…indeed, you have a sweet heart_.

----------------------------

Fakir put his hand to his head, leaning against the bar.

"Are you alright, Fakir?"

Fakir looked up at Mytho, then away again.

"It's just hard. Every day I see her, I want to take her by the shoulders and shake her, force her to remember…it still feels like some twisted joke someone thought up, like Drosselmeyer.

--------------------------------

Drosselmeyer sniffed, stung by Fakir's remark. "I'll have you know that my stories are _much_ more enjoyable than this one. It's much too clean. Not interesting at all."

------------------------------

Ahiru sat by her window, staring up at the night sky.

"Rue-chan was right," she said aloud to no one, "how could I do that? Ah, no!" She said, waving her hands, like she was trying to convince someone, "I'm glad I did! I just…how was I able to? The last piece…no, I wasn't a little bit scared, I was very scared. So how…did I actually get through it…alone?"

"_Even if that happens…"_

The ghost of a voice ripped through her mind, leaving her blank for a moment.

"A…promise?"

------------------------

The moment Fakir closed his eyes, the dream came again. The dream where he danced with Ahiru. Tonight was different, though. Just as it got to the part where she disappeared, and he was left with nothing but gold specks, a voice echoed thunderously around him, so loud he couldn't hear any identity in it.

"You know what you have to do," the voice said, "it's only a little longer to wait now."

_What are you talking about?_ His thoughts reached out defensively. The voice sighed in undisguised impatience.

"I can't tell if you're playing dumb or if you really _don't_ get it, but I can't tell you any more."

"Hey-wait!" Fakir spoke aloud this time, his voice edged with anger.

"I can tell you no more," the voice was getting smaller, "I will reveal myself soon. The end is nearly here, it depends on you now as to the result."

The voice disappeared entirely, and what he had said washed over Fakir.

"…_it depends on you now…"_

Fakir straightened up in new determination.

"I _will_ finish this with a _happy_ ending. For _everyone_." He said.

-------------------------------

_The voice last night…_Fakir thought, _It's the voice who told me about Ahiru's memory_. He thought of all this as he stretched, his body on autopilot while his mind wandered far away.

As caught up as her was, it took him awhile to notice Ahiru was actually on time today. Normally, though she walked with Rue, she would still manage to be late somehow. Which amazed and amused Fakir, even at as hard a time as it was. Today, however, when he looked up, she was already in her place, stretching. That wasn't the only odd thing. (this was the only way to describe it." Her face wasn't cheerful, like normal. Instead, there was this intense concentration, and when Pique touched her shoulder, she very nearly jumped out of her skin.

_Wonder what she's thinking so hard about…_

At that moment, Ahiru looked up and met Fakir's eyes. As much as Fakir wanted to break his gaze away, he couldn't. Her eyes were different. There was still no recognition, but they also weren't empty. There was dark confusion, like she was standing on a high precipice, teetering on the edge. Like she was on the edge of a decision.

But was it a decision, or was it memories?

--------------------------------

"I don't understand," Rue said, as she sat by Mytho, "why hasn't he tried dancing with her yet?"

"I asked him the same thing," Mytho said, giving a little laugh, but it was half-hearted, 'he just smiled; and then he said something strange, 'Some times and place are better than others', just like Redoan."

Rue looked a bit better hearing this. "So you think he's got an idea?"

"Yeah. He might."

-------------------------------

Fakir did in fact have an idea, but he was so unsure about how to do this that two days flitted by in the same routine. He could tell Mytho and Rue were getting anxious. He didn't blame them. It was Thursday, and Friday was the last day, but he knew it wasn't time yet. Had anyone asked him how he knew, he wouldn't have been able to answer, but for some reason, he knew. Redoan and the voice were right- it was almost time.

--------------------------------------

Ahiru could actually tell now: There was something she was missing. She had no idea what it was, and it confused her. It was like something she had been holding on to for a long time had suddenly been taken away from her.

She fell asleep that night thinking about it, trying to figure it out.

----------------------------

"Where…where am I?" Ahiru sat up from where she had been laying.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing. It was not light, but it was not dark either. The nothingness just stretched on for, what she imagined, was forever.

"_Ahiru."_ A baritone voice called out of the nothing.

"Who's there?" Ahiru called back.

"_Ahiru, can you hear me?"_ The voice seemed to be fading.

"I can hear you. Where are you going?!" Ahiru didn't know why, but she was desperate not to lose the voice.

"_Ahiru!"_

"Wait, don't go!"

Another voice came now, as the other was fading away. It was a gentle whisper.

"_Ahiru. It's time."_

"Time?" Ahiru echoed.

"_Ahiru, follow my voice!"_

"No, please don't leave me here!" Ahiru got up, trying to follow. A spectral figure appeared in front of her, smiling when she stumbled towards him.

"_That's it,"_ He encouraged in his quiet voice, _"just a little farther. Try to wake up."_

Ahiru blinked, and she was in her room, but the man still called, more faintly this time.

_Come Ahiru_.

Eyes curiously calm, Ahiru got up, dressed, and followed the voice.

_This way. You're nearly there_.

She was walking down the street. It was early morning, and the sky was barely beginning to get light.

_Come into the trees_.

Obediently, Ahiru left the road and went into the woods. The man appeared in front of her again, but he stayed just a little ahead of her.

_Just a little farther Ahiru._ He repeated. He stepped out onto a small lake. Ahiru hesitated a moment, then followed. When they reached the middle, the man stopped floating away from her, and as she approached him, he held out his hand. Ahiru took his hand, but as soon as she did, he smiled, and turned into vapor, blowing away. Ahiru's eyes cleared.

"Wait!" She called, but he was gone.

-------------------------------

When Fakir got up, Mytho and Rue were still asleep. It was still too early for school, so he got up and left the house. Standing just outside the door, he looked towards the woods where Ahiru's lake was. A flash of red caught his eye.

"Ahiru…?" Fakir began running into the woods.

_This is it…it's time._

Fakir heard her voice just before he broke through the trees.

"Wait!"

Ahiru turned when a twig snapped.

"Fakir-senpai."

Ignoring the fact that it was strange, Fakir walked out onto the frozen lake to look down at Ahiru. She had slid down to a sitting position on the lake surface.

"Ahiru…what's wrong?"

"Fakri-senpai…I don't…" Ahiru looked upset, "I don't understand! Something isn't there…and I don't know why!"

Fakir was reminded forcibly of the Lake of Despair. He knelt down and grabbed her shoulders.

"Baka. Trust your memories."

Not even bothering to ask, Fakir stood, clasping her hand in his and pulling her close as the dance began. Ahiru didn't protest.

"I don't expect you to understand," Fakir said, repeating something he had said a while back, "but I want you to be happy. That's why I thought you wanted to be human." He paused, "No- _I _wanted you to be human too. So if you don't remember because you don't want to, I'm sorry if this makes you unhappy, but right now I'm going to be selfish, because I…don't want you to forget." Faki's arms supported Ahiru so that she was above the ground. "Ahiru," He whispered. He brought her closer to the ground, and one hand came up to touch the side of her face. Ahiru looked at the hand, then back up into Fakir's eyes. He could no longer tell what was there. "I should have told you before…I love you." He didn't wait to see the effect. He didn't wait to see her reaction. Fakir lowered his head and kissed her.

Ahiru's eyes went wide, then she closed them, a tear sliding down her cheek. Because the memories were already there, just as they always had been.

_Fakir crying alone in the forest, and hugging a small duck to him._

_Fakir entrusting everything to Tutu when he almost died._

_Fakir writing her story to get her away from Drosselmeyer._

"_Even if that happens, I'll always stay by your side."_

"_You…remind me of a very good friend who disappeared."_

A thought from before finally completed itself, along with the promise. _No! He shouldn't be sad like that…that's not the way I remember him!_

When Fakir finally released her, Ahiru opened her eyes. With tears still streaming down her face, she threw her arms around his neck.

"_FAKIR!"_

"Ahiru." Fakir whispered fiercely, and he held her tightly.

"Me too," She whispered, still crying, "I love you, too."

With a tiny _crack_ and then tinkling sound, the jewel in Ahiru's necklace shattered, and Ahiru let go of Fakir to catch the falling shards, but they were blown away from her hands.

They glittered in the dawn light, changing shape and size until they formed a swan. The swan grew, glowing until it stretched itself out into another shape. A boy.

"Redoan?" Ahiru said, surprised, but Redoan's figure got taller, until he was an adult, but with the same pure-white hair like a swan's feathers.

"You did it!" He cried, smiling radiantly, in his melodic, whispering voice.

"Redoan…you're the one who turned me human." Ahiru realized. The man laughed. "My real name is Eredon. Ahiru," He smiled, holing out his hand, "there is one more dance to perform."

Ahitu walked slowly to Eredon.

"Ahiru!"

Ahiru turned and smiled at Fakir.

"Don't worry. He's a good person. He won't hurt me."

As soon as she took his hand, a great wind began to blow. Eredon and Ahiru didn't move, but Fakir was forced to lower his face. When he looked up, both Ahiru and Eredon had disappeared.

"Ahiru!" Fakir shouted, but there was no answer.

--------------------------------------------

Ahiru was in this place again, where there was nothing in all directions.

"Ahiru." Ahiru turned. Eredon stood behind her. He gave an elegant bow. "The final dance, please?"

"Yes."

They dances slowly in the nothingness, never saying a word,

_Wait…why am I able to keep up with him?_ Ahiru thought surprised. _Normally, I can't do this._

A strange sensation came over her, and suddenly, she was not dancing with Eredon at all anymore. She watched as he danced with someone in a white tutu.

_Oh._ Ahiru thought_, I see…he was dancing with Tutu, not me._

As she thought this, the somewhat see through image of Princess Tutu danced lightly over to Ahiru. Taking Ahiru's hand in both her own, she curtsied, lifting her head to give Ahiru a warm smile.

"Arigatou, Ahiru." She said, in a voice so similar to Ahiru's, and the ballerina disappeared.

Ahiru looked around, only to see that Eredon was gone too.

_Oh great. Now what?_

_Ahi…!...ru! Ahiru!_

Eredon's voice sounded faintly, like a radio station with bad reception.

_Ahiru, come this way!_

Ahiru began jogging, then running towards the voice. A tiny speck of light was far ahead. Eredon's ghostly figure glided along in front of her again.

He stretched out his hand to Ahiru as far as it would go.

_Take my hand! Hurry!_

Giving a last burst of effort, Ahiru grabbed Eredon's hand. The speck of light grew, and Ahiru closed her eyes.

------------------------------------

Less than a minute after she had disappeared, Ahiru reappeared, and Fakir caught her before she hit the frozen lake.

-------------------------------------

Note: 'Eredon' is the Japanese name. In English it would be 'Eldon'. Don't ask me why, I was just in a weird mood…

Howzzat? I'll try to get the last akt up soon.


	8. Akt 24  Akt 8 Aftermath

Author's note: Hmmmm…yeah, there are a few more typos in that last akt. I'll try to go back and fix it, if I have time. It was a little rushed, but I don't know how I could fix that. I really think this is a cheesy akt. Sorry . I don't _think_ there are any typos in this akt... O-kay! Final akt, here we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu or any of the characters.

---------------------------------------------

Akt 34 / AKt 8- Aftermath

Ahiru opened her eyes to see Fakir leaning over her.

"Fakir!" She hugged him again.

"Hey- be careful baka! I might accidentally drop you!"

Ahiru looked around. They were standing on the lake, and Fakir was holding her.

"Ohhh…" Was all she said.

"Ahiru."

Ahiru looked up. Eredon and Princess Tutu were floating above the water.

"I'm glad you are happy now." Eredon smiled.

"Eredon, why did you…?"

Eredon looked at Tutu, then back at Ahiru, as Fakir put her down.

"During The Prince and the Raven, you became Princess Tutu for the sake of the Prince. After this, though, what was to become of the girl and the Princess? The Princess's role was complete, yet her soul still rested with you; and you- you became a duck again."

"Why did you have to do it…like that?"

Eredon smiled, "Though I wish I could have done it differently, it was because of your heart."

"My…heart?"

"You felt so strongly about the people you care about that I was able to use those memories to fuel your transformation. To bring those memories back, they triggered the memories through their words and dance. You had the heart, soul, and mind of a girl, in the body of a duck. Truly, you are a remarkable person."

Ahiru blushed, and Fakir stepped in, "No offense, but why did you even want to?"

Eredon's face became serious. "While there are those like Drosselmeyer, who desire pain and suffering, there are others." wind began blowing again, and Eredon disappeared as his voice whispered out the last words, "Like Fakir, I desire to see happy endings. So I go, correcting tragedies that someone else has left behind. For am I not Eredon, the Master Storyteller?" All was still.

"Fakir! Ahiru!" Rue and Mytho stood on the lake shore, waving. As Ahiru and Fakir stepped onto the shore, a ripple went through the lake, and it returned to normal.

"How long have you been standing here?" Ahiru asked.

"We were looking for Fakir when you screamed his name. We came just as Eredon appeared." Rue said.

"So," Mytho said, "It's over?"

"No," Fakir squeezed Ahiru's hand, "it's just beginning."

----------------------------------

Mytho and Rue stood by their carriage, ready to leave. Ahiru hugged each of them in turn. "You have to visit sometime, okay?"

"We will."

Ahiru and Fakir stepped back and waved, as the swans harnessed to the carriage took off, disappearing into the sky.

"They _will_ visit, won't they?" Ahiru worried.

Fakir smiled. "Baka. You don't trust them?"

"That's not it!"

"Then don't worry." He tugged her braid gently. "They'll visit. Come on."

Ahiru trotted to keep up with Fakir's long legs as he started walking.

--------------------------------------------------

Ahiru sat next to Fakir, looking at the lake where they had spent the last month. They sat on the dock, and Ahiru dangled her feet in the water while Fakir leaned back, his eyes closed.

Fakir opened his eyes when he heard a tiny sigh. He opened looked at Ahiru to see her staring sadly at the water.

"What's wrong?" Fakir asked.

Ahiru didn't look up as she replied, "I can't believe I forgot…"

Fakir was silent as he stared up at the sky.

"You know, the worst thing wasn't that you forgot in the first place."

"Eh?" Ahiru looked at Fakir.

"It wasn't that you remembered me last. It wasn't even the name you called me." Fakir looked at her. 'The worst part was your eyes."

"My eyes?" Ahiru put her hand to her face, but stopped when Fakir spoke again.

"Baka. Not now. It was then. To look at you and be able to tell you couldn't recognize me." Fakir closed his eyes again.

"Oh…" Ahiru said softly, and then she thought of something. "That time…after I saw you at the library, I was thinking, and at the time, I couldn't finish the thought; and that's because I thought, 'No, he shouldn't be sad…that's not the way…I _remember_ him.'" Ahiru looked up at the sky. "When I think about it now I think…that maybe it's because I didn't _want_ to forget. I think my heart tried to on to that memory." Fakir looked at Ahiru again as she went on, "When I realized that my memories of you were missing, it felt like-" Ahiru put her hand to her heart, "-like part of myself was missing. It was like there was a hole in my heart, and since I had no idea why, I was confused."

"Is it gone now?"

"Of course." Ahiru smiled, "I remember now."

Fakir smiled back and looked up at the sky again.

"Ne, Fakir."

"What?" Ahiru leaned against Fakir's shoulder.

"What were you trying to write? Just before I changed. What story was it?"

"Yours."

"Eh? Really?" Ahiru turned her head slightly to look at Fakir.

"Yes. You weren't that good at hiding how unhappy you were."

Ahiru frowned, turning her head back again. "Don't be mean. I tried."

"I know." His quiet tone made Ahiru turn around again quicker this time. "You're not depressed now, are you?!"

Fakir shook his head, and Ahiru settled into a more comfortable position.

"Jeez, Fakir. Everything's _fine_ now!" She paused, then said, more quietly. "I'm human now. It's okay…right?"

"Yes. It was just that as a duck, I knew you weren't happy, but I couldn't do anything. I was helpless even with my gift."

"Please, Fakir. Please be happy!" Ahiru turned all the way around to face him. She looked sad now. "I don't want to remember you being sad. My heart," she reached up a hand again, touching her heart and closing her eyes. She took one of Fakir's hands and put it on top of her own, "my heart has always been a human heart, with human memories. Even while I was a duck. Please be happy, because I'll be happy too!"

Fakir smiled at her anxiety. "I do know something to make me happy."

Entwining his fingers in hers, he stood up, lifting her with him.

"What's that?"

"You." Fakir reached down with his other hand, lifting her chin, and kissed her. Ahiru kissed him back, and when he pulled away, she smiled.

"Will you write our story down?"

"Probably. We've come to another end, and another beginning with it." Together, they looked up into the blue sky.

THE END

------------------------------------

Ta-dah!!!! The end!!!! Hope you liked it!!!!! I'm planning a short oneshot for Kingdom Hearts next. Sayonara!


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